Tennessee Republicans pass map splitting up state’s lone majority-Black district
NBC News • • general
Key Points:
- Tennessee’s Republican-led Legislature passed a new congressional map that splits the state’s only majority-Black district, aiming to increase Republican representation in Congress ahead of the 2024 midterm elections.
- The redistricting divides the Memphis-based district held by Democrat Steve Cohen into three parts, diluting Democratic voters by spreading them into large, rural Republican districts, and further fragments the Nashville area into five districts.
- The map was passed amid significant Democratic opposition and public protests, with critics accusing Republicans of racial gerrymandering and undermining Black political representation.
- This redistricting follows a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that removed racial gerrymandering protections under the Voting Rights Act, prompting several Republican-led states to redraw maps to strengthen their electoral positions.
- Tennessee is among nine states enacting new congressional maps mid-decade, part of a broader Republican strategy to secure more House seats before the 2024 elections, with ongoing debates and litigation expected in multiple states.
